Family
by Star of Shadow
Summary: Set a month after Digimon Frontier. Kouji hasn't had the chance to tell his dad about Kouichi yet. Meanwhile, Kouichi is feeling slightly insecure about meeting his father again. Yet the meeting is unavoidable. How will this family reunion turn out?
1. Chapter 1

**_Wow, what a long time it has been... I'm sorry! This isn't my main account, so I almost forgot about it..._**

**_Anyway, I rewrote Chapter 1 and 2. Chapter 3 will be up soon, and I'll do my best to complete this story as fast as possible._**

**_Meanwhile, enjoy! And don't forget to review!_**

* * *

It has been a month since the Chosen Ones got back from the Digital World. Life proceeded as normal, and everyone slipped back into their lives almost as if nothing had happened. Indeed, for their families, only a few minutes had passed while they were in the Digital World. But for the Chosen Ones', their experiences have changed their lives forever, hopefully for the better.

* * *

In the Minamoto residence, a boy was rushing towards the entrance, slipping on his shoes as he went. "I'm going out for a while! I'll be back for dinner!" yelled Kouji.

"Have a nice time, dear," his step-mother Satomi called back, looking up from the book she was reading. She smiled. Kouji was going out more often recently. It looks like he has made some new friends.

His father was at work. He had been really busy this past month, working hard at his company. He was hardly seen at home anymore and returned only at late hours.

'_I haven't even gotten a chance to tell him about Kaa-san and Kouichi!'_ thought Kouji with a sigh as he left the house.

Kouji had been meeting up with Kouichi whenever he could, and their brotherly bond was strengthening even more as time passed.

He straightened my bandana and started jogging to the train station. They had decided to meet at Shibuya Station, just for old time's sake. What to do from there was to be planned later. He jumped onto the train that would get him to his destination.

But he hadn't seen the rest since they came back. Everyone had maintained contact through their phones, sometimes even indulging in long phone calls or messaging marathons. Nevertheless, between school and other activities, they hadn't had time to meet. To tell the truth, he was quite excited about meeting up with them again.

Getting down from the train, he looked around for them. The customary crowd in Shibuya made it difficult, but he looked left and right near their appointed meeting place to see if anyone had arrived already.

Reaching the spot, he met up with Izumi. Well, it was more like she pounced on him. "Kouji! It's great to see you!"

"Can you let go of me…" he gasped, half-strangled. Izumi had him in a tight hug, her excitement getting the better of her.

She laughed nervously and blushed. "Sorry!"

'_She's cute when she blushes… Wait! Did I just think that she's cute?! That was just weird! Why am I thinking of something like this?! Bad thoughts, Kouji, bad thoughts!'_

"Kouji! Izumi! Over here!" They turned to see Tomoki waving at them while jumping up and down. The vigorous motion dislodged his hat, causing it to flutter to the ground.

Junpei ruffled Tomoki's hair playfully before placing the hat back where it belonged. "Down, boy," he teased. Then he turned to the two who had just arrived. "Hey! Good to see you again."

"Hi, guys!" It was Takuya, running over to where they were. He squeezed through the crowd, mumbling apologies as he went.

"The latest as always," said Kouji, rolling his eyes.

Takuya stuck his tongue out at him. "I'm still on time. Anyway, Kouichi's not here yet!"

The others grinned at their banter. It was just like the good old times in the Digital World. "So where _is_ Kouichi?" asked Izumi.

"He's helping out at a store nearby. He wanted to help our mother to make some money, so he's doing odd jobs in his free time." Kouji supplied.

"So, our first activity is set! Find Kouichi!" yelled Takuya, hyper as always.

"Yeah!" Izumi, Junpei and Tomoki cheered. The corner of Kouji's mouth twitched slightly, and he followed them at a more sedate pace. Yeah, just like the good old times.

* * *

**_Please review! I would love to know your opinions on the story. Constructive criticism is welcome, but please refrain from flaming._**


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2, rewritten!**_

* * *

Kouichi had been working at this store for a week now. It was really busy, since it was set near the center of Shibuya Station. Many people rushing to catch a train would drop by the shop to grab something to eat. Kouichi just did some odd jobs around the store, like arranging the products or sometimes manning the cashier. That day, he was told to rearrange the sweets section which had become messed up.

The tinkling of the electric bell signaled that a customer had walked in. The person took up a pack of bread and walked to the counter.

Kouichi straightened up from arranging the chocolates. He then picked up a few packets of cookies to be placed on the empty shelves. Peering around the mountain of biscuits which had been taken out from the storeroom, he almost dropped everything he was holding when he saw who had arrived at the shop.

* * *

The Frontier gang walked into the shop, laughing at a joke that Takuya had said. Even Kouji couldn't stay aloof from their contagiously cheerful mood, and was laughing along with the others.

But then, Kouji suddenly froze in his tracks. "Tou-san?! What are you doing here?"

Kousei Minamoto looked at his son in surprise. "Oh, it's you, Kouji. I just stopped by to grab a quick lunch. I'm on my way to a business appointment."

Seeing a movement from the corner of his eye, Kouji spotted Kouichi hovering near the biscuit rack. He raised an eyebrow at him.

Kouichi shot him a look that read, 'You tell him.'

"Ano, Tou-san…" Kouji started.

"Sorry, I've got to run. Have fun with your friends, Kouji." Mr. Minamoto quickly walked out to catch his train, glancing at his watch to ascertain the time.

Kouji sighed. "Looks like that failed." He walked over to where Kouichi was still lurking behind the safety of the shelves. "Why didn't you come out?"

Kouichi averted his eyes, choosing to resume his work. "Kouji... I don't think I can face him yet. In his life, he's moved on... He has remarried and you have also accepted her. He already has a loving complete family. There's no place for me there. How can I just pop up and say, 'Tou-san, I'm the son you left with Kaa-san all those years ago.'"

"Kouichi... Nii-san, haven't we gone through this before? I'm sure Tou-san really wants to see you again, and Kaa-san (Satomi) will love you as well. I've gone to meet Kaa-san, so why can't you meet Tou-san?"

Kouichi shook his head and smiled, "Yeah, you're right, Kouji. I was just being silly."

Takuya slung an arm around each of the twins. "Come on guys, today is supposed to be full of fun and games! Forget all these serious stuff! It's time to play!"

Kouichi couldn't help but laugh as he extracted himself from Takuya's grasp. "My shift ends in ten minutes," he informed them. "Why don't you buy some snacks?"

* * *

A little more than ten minutes later had the Frontier team strolling out of the shop. "So, where to?"

"How about the new theme park?" suggested Izumi. "I heard that it's really fun."

"Sure!" said the others.

* * *

**_Review please! Chapter 3 will be up soon!_**


	3. Chapter 3

**_Hi, I'm back with the 3rd installment of Family! Please R & R!_**

* * *

"Wow…" the Frontier gang stared at the huge theme park. Roller coasters, haunted house, Ferris wheel, flying chairs, and just about everything a theme park should have.

They glanced at each other. "So what's first?"

"How about the roller coaster? That one looks really fun!" said Tomoki, pointing to one. After their adventure, he had become much more daring, especially when with his friends.

"I wonder if they let midgets get on?" teased Takuya, patting the youngest member on the head.

"Hey, I'm not that short!" protested Tomoki indignantly, swatting his hand away.

"Whatever you say, Chibi-chan."

Tomoki stuck his tongue out at Takuya.

"Is it just me, or are those two becoming more and more like real brothers?" said Junpei. The others just nodded, agreeing with him.

"Now, now, let's just go and play!" said Izumi, breaking up the argument.

"Let's go!!!" yelled Takuya and they all raced towards the rollercoaster.

"Ah..." Moving through the crowded park, Kouichi found himself being separated from the others. Craning his neck, he did his best to keep them in view.

* * *

In the main office of the theme park, set in a tall building on the outskirts, Kousei Minamoto looked at his watch, waiting impatiently. He had been shown into this room, but the client was nowhere to be seen. They were supposed to be discussing the upgrading of the theme park. Sighing, he glanced out at the window to look at the people milling around below. His schedule was quite tight, and he could only afford to wait for another ten minutes.

He gave a start as he spotted a familiar figure in the distance. Kouji? Wait, the teen wasn't wearing the bandana that his son always had on, instead having a blue cap set on his head. The hair was slightly shorter as well. He could only see the back of his head from above, so the face was unknown. Could it be…?

The late arrival of his client interrupted his thoughts and he lost sight of the boy in the crowd.

* * *

"Hey."

Kouichi gave a start when he noticed his brother right in front of him. Apparently, Kouji had deliberately dropped behind to find him. "You're being really slow. Come on!"

Kouji's hand caught hold of Kouichi's wrist as they winded through the masses. Kouichi was surprised that he would do this, but pleasantly so. The warmth of his brother's hand was comforting. It was during times like this that Kouichi felt that Kouji acted more like the elder brother than he did. It was nice, knowing that he wasn't alone anymore. No matter what, they would always be together.

* * *

"Man, I'm really tired!" said Junpei, stretching out his arms. They had spent the whole day in the theme park, jumping from one ride to another. It was already evening as they walked back to the train station, and the sun cast its red glow on all of them.

"Today was really fun, though," said Kouichi with a smile.

"Yup! We have to get together again some other time!" Tomoki added cheerfully.

"Hey, guys! Look!" Izumi's excited shout made them realize that the girl was no longer walking with them. Instead, they found her in front of a roadside stall, admiring the merchandise.

"Isn't this really cute?" she said, holding up a keychain featuring the kanji of Wind. It was made of wood, with the word painted on it in elegant calligraphy. Each keychain was a different colour.

"And see, they're others too!" This time, she held five other key chains. Fire, Ice, Thunder, Light and Dark. Seeing their stunned expressions, she cheerily turned back to the vendor. "We'll be taking these six, please!"

After paying for the trinkets, they continued on their way.

"Now we finally have an actual memento for our adventures," said Izumi happily. "Everyone hang it somewhere noticeable, alright? It'll be a symbol of our friendship, so that we never forget the times in the Digital World."

"Okay!"

* * *

**_Yay, Chapter 3 is finally up! I'm going to try to update at least once a week! Please support this story!_**


	4. Chapter 4

_**A little behind schedule, but not so late overall... Right? (sheepish)**_

_**Anyway, here's a slightly longer chapter to compensate for the lateness! Enjoy! And don't forget to leave a review!**_

* * *

In the Kimura residence, the doorbell rang. A dark-haired boy stood in front of the door, tapping his foot on the ground rather impatiently. A soft rustling could be heard as Kouichi managed the locks. After a while, Koichi opened the door to allow Kouji to enter the apartment.

"How's Kaa-san doing?" asked Kouji, cutting to the chase.

His brother sighed. "Slightly better than before, at least. She's still insisting she's fine, though."

Hearing the sound of muffled coughing, Kouji moved towards his birth mother's room. He peeked inside after knocking on the door. "Kaa-san?"

Tomoko glanced at her twin sons, and shot a baleful glare at the elder. "I told you I'm fine, Kouichi. You didn't have to call Kouji to come all the way here."

The two boys traded a long-suffering look. Even Kouji had become familiar with their mother's stubbornness when it came to her own well-being.

"You should rest more, Kaa-san. Nii-san and I will take care of everything." Kouji entered the room and gently pushed Tomoko back down onto the futon, drawing the covers over her.

Tomoko looked like she was about to protest but was soon overcome by a fit of coughing.

"I'll go get the medicine," offered Kouichi before leaving the room.

Kouji sat down beside his mother. "Sleep, Kaa-san. Just focus on getting well again, alright?"

Tomoko smiled, tears in her eyes. "You've grown into such a good boy, Kouji..."

"Kaa-san..."

* * *

Kouji joined his brother in the kitchen after Tomoko took the medicine. "She's finally asleep."

"Good, now she can get some long-deserved rest." Kouichi opened the fridge. "So, what do you want to eat?"

Suddenly, Kouichi started coughing. He tried to muffle the sound in his sleeve. Key word, _tried_.

Kouji glanced at him suspiciously. "You caught Kaa-san's cold?"

"I'm fine, no need to worry." Unfortunately, this was punctuated with more coughing. "It's nothing serious."

Exasperated, Kouji knocked him over the head. "Jeez, you're as bad as Kaa-san."

Ignoring Kouichi's protests, Kouji fished his cellphone out of his pocket and dialed his home. "Kaa-san? I'll be staying over at a friend's house tonight, okay?" "It's fine." "No, never mind, I'll just borrow some clothes from my friend."

Snapping shut the device, Kouji turned towards his brother. "There, it's decided. I'll stay here and look after you two, or else who knows what you'll do."

Resigned, Kouichi sighed. Apparently, stubbornness runs in the family.

* * *

Kousei entered the house. After taking off his shoes, he walked towards the study where he dropped his office bag.

"Hmm? Where's Kouji?" he asked as he strolled into the kitchen. Usually, the family of three would have dinner together, and Kouji would already be in the dining room by the time Kousei got back.

"He phoned just now and said that he is sleeping over at a friend's house tonight. So it's just you and me."

Kousei wrapped his arms around his wife and kissed her lightly. Smiling, Satomi gently pushed him away. "It's time for dinner."

Taking the hint, Kousei sat down at the table. Satomi arranged the food on the table and sat down opposite him.

Halfway through the meal, Kousei remembered the events of the day and fell silent.

"Kousei? What's wrong?" Satomi immediately picked up on the mood change and looked in concern at her husband.

"Satomi... I think I saw Kouichi today."

Satomi said nothing, waiting for him to continue.

"I've been thinking about him recently. Sometimes, I wonder if I made the right choice all those years ago. It's not that I regret breaking ties with Tomoko, don't get me wrong. I would never have met you if I hadn't."

"I understand. I don't harbor resentment for Tomoko-san, Kousei."

"...Thank you, Satomi. It's just that I keep feeling that Kouji and Kouichi should have been allowed to grow up together. This arrangement isn't fair for them. Tomoko and I, we only cared about our peace of mind. We forgot about the children's feelings. I suppose it's good that Kouji doesn't remember anything."

"Kousei..."

"I just hope Kouichi's doing okay."

* * *

Kouichi sneezed, and that gained him a pointed stare from his brother. He rolled his eyes.

Accepting a glass of water from Kouji, he gulped its contents down. "Thanks." As Kouji went to put the cup away, Kouichi lied down on his futon. Kouji had insisted that he get some rest, so now he was being forcibly kept in bed. Come to think of it... Where will Kouji be sleeping?

The question was answered as Kouji slid under the covers next to him.

"You'll catch my cold, Kouji."

"It's nothing, isn't it?" Kouji threw his words back at him. "Anyway, I don't really fancy the hard floor, and there's no way that I am letting you get out of this bed. So just get used to it.

Kouichi sighed. There was no arguing with his brother. Better to just let it be.

"Fine. Goodnight, then."

"Goodnight, Nii-san."

* * *

Early next morning, Tomoko left her room feeling much better. It was all thanks to her two boys, she thought with a tender smile.

Glancing into Kouichi's room, she was surprised to see both of them there. The scene they made warmed her heart. The twins sleeping side by side and unconsciously snuggled against each other. As she watched, Kouji shifted to throw an arm over his brother. A small smile could be seen on Kouichi's face. In that new position, they continued sleeping.

The smile on Tomoko's face was slightly sad. It should have always been this way. They should never have been kept apart for so long.

The past cannot be changed, but thank goodness they found each other. This way, the mistakes of the past may be able to be remedied. Tomoko could only hope that it would be so.

* * *

_**I hadn't planned on it being so angsty, but it just came out this way... What do you think? Leave a review please**_!


	5. Chapter 5

_**Sorry for the late update! Just when I wanted to update, the exams struck. (TT_TT) In the blink of an eye, two weeks had passed since I last updated. (O_O) Sorry!**_

_**Anyway, I've finally updated, so hope you enjoy. It's not really long though, since I wanted to cut it off at a certain point.**_

* * *

In a blink of an eye, almost a week had passed since then. The weekend was upon them again.

Kouichi walked along the street, heading home after work. He had found a part-time job at a grocery store which paid well, but unfortunately, it was rather far from his house. Nevertheless, he wanted to help his mother in any way he could.

Speaking of his mother... Kouichi sighed inwardly. Tomoko was working late again today, so that meant dinner alone for him. Oh well, he would just take his time getting back home. His school work was done anyway.

A lady exited the store behind him, lugging bags full of groceries.

* * *

Satomi sighed as she carried the heavy bags out of the shop. She should have waited for Kousei to come home. But she had so wanted to bake an apple pie and they were completely out of flour. During her search for ingredients, she had found that they were lacking vegetables as well. She had no choice but to go shopping, or they wouldn't have a good dinner.

But apparently she had bought too much in one go. Hefting the bags to get a better grip, she set off towards her house.

She didn't see the uneven part of the sidewalk.

* * *

Kouichi stood waiting for the pedestrian light to turn green. Suddenly, an impact knocked him straight off his feet. He and whatever had banged into him fell painfully on the pavement.

"I'm so sorry!" a flustered voice apologized quickly. Satomi tried to push herself up. The groceries were scattered over the floor.

"Are you alright, baa-chan?" Kouichi got up and helped the Satomi to her feet.

"Arigatou," she said when she was back on her feet. She sighed as she bent down to salvage the things she had bought.

Picking up another bag, Kouichi started picking up the apples.

"Would you like me help you carry these?" he asked.

Satomi looked at him gratefully. "It's not too much of a hassle? Then thank you very much, that'll be a great help. You're such a good boy."

Kouichi blushed.

"My house is just nearby," Satomi told him after they had picked up everything.

As they walked, Satomi looked at him properly for the first time and did a double take. He looked almost exactly like Kouji, only with shorter hair and a shy smile.

Meanwhile, Kouichi was determined that Satomi looked familiar, but for the life of him couldn't place where he had seen her before.

"It's getting late. Won't your mother be worried?" Satomi was concerned. From what Kousei had told her, Kouichi lived with his mother and grandmother.

"She's working late today, so there's no one at home."

"I see..." The information made Satomi feel for the other woman. It probably wasn't easy being a single mother providing for her son. No doubt she had to work hard every day.

As they neared the house, Kouichi slowly began to recognize his surroundings. They were near Kouji's home. And with a jolt he realized who Satomi was. Kouji's stepmother. He had seen before when he had been following Kouji around before their Digital adventure.

But no matter how much he felt like bolting, he had promised her to bring her things back.

Finally, they reached the house.

With a smile, Satomi turned towards him. "Would you like to join us for dinner? As thanks for your help."

"Thank you, but there really is no need, baa-chan," Kouichi declined politely, resisting the urge to leave immediately.

"Don't be shy. You'll be having dinner on your own otherwise, won't you? I always like having guests over."

Before Kouichi could respond, a familiar voice cut in. Kouji had opened the door at the sound of voices. He looked at his brother in surprise. "Kouichi? What are you doing here?"

"You two know each other?" Satomi gasped out. "Oh my, your father is going to get a huge shock."

"Kaa-san, you knew?"

"Your father told me before." Turning to Kouichi again, she smiled warmly. "So, Kouichi-kun, will you come in for dinner?"

* * *

**_And we finally approach the crucial point in the story! What will happen? Stay tuned to find out. I promise to update as soon as possible. Review please!_**


	6. Chapter 6

_**It's been a while, everyone! (dodges flying stuff) Sorry! With exams and such, I've been pretty busy lately. But I've finally managed to update!**_

**_Hope you enjoy the latest installment!_**

* * *

"Will you join us for dinner, Kouichi-kun?"

Faced with this straight-forward invitation from Satomi, Kouichi was rooted to the spot. Such a simple question, yet it meant so much more for him. Yes or no. Acceptance or refusal.

Taking a deep breath, he made his decision.

* * *

Kouichi lagged behind his brother as they walked up the stairs towards Kouji's room. He was feeling apprehensive about the situation, but couldn't back out of it now that he had accepted Satomi's invitation.

A picture on the wall made him pause in his steps. It featured Kousei with his arm around Satomi and a hand on Kouji's shoulder. By the looks of it, the photo had been taken recently. Just looking at them, he could see how happy they were together.

It struck Kouichi that he might be intruding into the close family of three. Always, when he had been watching Kouji before their adventure, he had been envious of the carefree love they shared. Especially now that Kouji had truly accepted Satomi into the family, Kouichi was reluctant to break it up with his presence.

But when he opened his mouth to voice his concerns, one look from Kouji made the words die in his throat. Sometimes, it was like Kouji could read his mind.

Kouji sighed. "You're thinking about that again, aren't you?" Turning, he clasped his brother's hands in his own. "It'll be fine, just wait and see."

Kouji was so confident that Kouichi couldn't help but feel better. Yet a nagging worry still lingered...

* * *

When Kousei returned home, he was greeted by the aroma of freshly cooked food. Strolling into the kitchen, he kissed his wife lightly.

Smiling, Satomi pushed past him lightly to tend to a boiling pot of soup. "Dinner will be ready in a while. Go and change first." She shooed him away.

"Hmm? Are we having a guest?" he asked, noting the four places Satomi had set at the table.

"Kouji brought a friend over," said Satomi vaguely. She didn't want to give away the surprise (or shock) in store for Kousei.

"Dinnertime!" called Satomi.

Kousei was the first to come downstairs.

Soon, Kouji entered the dining room as well. And following behind him was someone Kousei had never expected to see ever again. Not since that fateful day ten years ago.

"...Kouichi?"

Kouichi made himself look his father in the eyes. "Hello, Tou-san."

At the sight of this long-lost son, Kousei swayed slightly on his feet. Reaching for the nearest chair to steady himself, he fell heavily on the seat, still staring disbelievingly at Kouichi.

"How is this possible?" he muttered, half to himself. Satomi returned to the kitchen to give them some privacy. This was a matter to be settled between father and sons.

When he regained some of his composure, he managed to ask, "How did you meet?"

They had decided beforehand to give him the same explanation they had given their mother. "We met at Shibuya station and started talking. We were curious about our obvious resemblance, and investigated a bit. That's how we found out the truth."

"I've met Kaa-san," said Kouji suddenly, and there was no doubt about who he meant. When Kousei didn't respond, Kouji pressed on, determination shining in his eyes. "I don't care what you think, now that I've found them, nothing you do will make me stay away from them."

"I would never keep you apart from your brother and mother, Kouji," said Kousei quietly. Slight anguish could be heard in his voice.

"Then why did you tell me Kaa-san was dead? And why keep Kouichi's existence from me? You could have told me the truth, so why lie? Don't you think I deserve the truth from you, instead of finding out myself?"

"Kouji... I..."

"No more lies. I want the truth. _We_ want the truth. All of it." Kouji's eyes were steely with betrayal as he stared his father in the eye.

Kousei took a deep breath to steady himself. "Separating the two of you was the worst decision we ever made. I've regretted it ever since. I won't try to redeem myself, but I'll tell you what happened.

"Tomoko and I just didn't work out. We had been drifting apart for a while, and one day we decided we had enough. We divorced. It seemed like the best solution at the time. We were only thinking about ourselves, and didn't realize the effects it would have on you.

"I lost contact with Tomoko after that. Whatever regrets I had, there was no way to make amends. I suppose it was for the best, so that you two won't be forced to grow up in a tension-filled family. But I regret that we couldn't give you a complete loving family.

"I..." Kousei's voice became choked. Standing, he hugged both of his sons to his chest. Tears flowed from his eyes and dripped lightly onto the twins' heads. "Seeing you two together again, it's like a dream come true.

"Kouji... Kouichi... I'm sorry."

"Tou-san..." Touched, both twins hugged their father, their eyes shimmering with tears as well.

From the kitchen door, Satomi observed the trio and wiped tears of joy from her eyes. Kousei had always felt guilty about Kouichi, so it was a blessing that they could finally be reunited.

Finally, they pulled away from each other.

"The food's going cold," said Satomi, smiling affectionately at the touching scene.

With wide smiles on their faces, they settled down to eat.

* * *

**_Finally, they meet. So sweet... There'll be an epilogue, featuring Tomoko as well. It'll truly be a family reunion then. Stay tuned!_**

**_Oh, and do review! I appreciate your comments very much. Thank you for supporting this fic!_**


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